Dr. Edwin Henderson- The Robert Goddard of D.C. Basketball

Earl Lloyd. Elgin Baylor. Dave Bing. Bernie Williams. Austin Carr. Adrian Dantley. Someone had to lay the foundation for the wealth of basketball talent in the Washington metropolitan area. That someone was D.C. native Dr. Edwin B. Henderson, founder of the Interscholastic Athletic Association. To learn more about Henderson, who is also the father of the Pubic School Athletic League, Eastern Board of Officials for Black Athletics, and wrote “The Negro in Sports”, one should read the following book by Bob Kuska:

www.upress.virginia.edu/books/kuska.html

It spells out the role and mission of Henderson, and chronicles early Black teams based in D.C. who led the way for the aforementioned players. If Dr. Naismith was Wilbur Wright, Dr. Henderson was Dr. Goddard.

This book by EBH was the first comprehensive volume of its type:

www.enotes.com/1920-sports-american-decades-ps/negro-sports

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K-State of the Union: Beasley Buzz

In Kansas State’s upset loss to the Missouri Tigers (77-74), Washington’s Michael Beasley, a Naismith Trophy candidate, had 17 points, 10 rebounds, a couple steals, and blocked a couple shots. He averages 25 points and 12 caroms a game.

When Pitt bested Connecticut over the weekend, 60-53, Friendly High’s Sam Young tallied 18 to lead the victorious Panthers. That’s his average for the year (Rockville native Jerome Dyson of UConn, a 14 ppg. scorer, did not play).

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